19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

Diana Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Diana by Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Light Red for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Umber to one bold piece. Warm Yellow suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Yellow works best in a single textile.

Date
1849
Collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license
Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV
75
Diana by Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña, Diana, 1849. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, open access. The bar shows each color's measured share of the canvas.

The 6 colors in this painting

Measured from the image and ordered by how much of the canvas they cover. LRV is how much light a color reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white.

Soft Black
#1D1A16 · 37.6% · LRV 1
Deep Umber
#654F3F · 27.2% · LRV 9
Warm Yellow
#9D8567 · 23.6% · LRV 25
Light Yellow
#F6C9A4 · 6.5% · LRV 64
Light Red
#DAA793 · 3.9% · LRV 45
Pale Yellow
#FFDC9D · 1.3% · LRV 75

Where each color lives in the painting

Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.

Diana reduced to its palette colors
The same scene in 6 flat colors.
Detail of the painting where Soft Black is strongest
Soft Black
Detail of the painting where Deep Umber is strongest
Deep Umber
Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest
Warm Yellow
Detail of the painting where Light Yellow is strongest
Light Yellow
Detail of the painting where Light Red is strongest
Light Red
Detail of the painting where Pale Yellow is strongest
Pale Yellow

Closest paint colors

The nearest color from each brand. “Near-identical” and “Very close” are hard to tell apart on a wall; with “Similar”, compare a sample with the painting. Brands with nothing close are left out.

Painting color Closest paints LRV Use it for
Soft Black
#1D1A16
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar
  • Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar
1 Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Umber
#654F3F
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 9091 Half‐Caff Very close
  • Behr UL170-1 Pine Cone Very close
  • Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar
9 One bold piece
Warm Yellow
#9D8567
  • Behr PPU7-04 Collectible Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 9113 Mudslide Very close
  • Valspar 3004-9B Crunch Granola Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close
25 Wood and frames
Light Yellow
#F6C9A4
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6639 Avid Apricot Near-identical
  • Behr M240-4 Sheer Apricot Very close
  • Valspar 2003-2B Coral Gable Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Similar
64 One small textile
Light Red
#DAA793
  • Behr HDC-CT-13 Apricotta Very close
  • Valspar 2003-8A Arizona Dust Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 69 Rose Tan Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Similar
45 Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale Yellow
#FFDC9D
  • Behr 300A-3 Melted Butter Near-identical
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 9016 La Luna Amarilla Very close
  • Valspar 3001-2B Toasted Wheat Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close
75 Main walls

Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.

How pale yellow looks in your light

The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.

North-facing room#DCC9A5

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#FFDEA4

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2AF77

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

Try the palette in a room

Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.

Walls
Bed, sofa, island
Bold piece

Wood takes Warm Yellow and the rug border takes Light Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.

Pale Yellow
Light Red
Deep Umber
Linen
Oiled oak
Lime plaster
Aged brass
Palette card for Diana

Save this palette

A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.

Save to Pinterest Download card

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FAQ

What colors are in Diana?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#1D1A16, 37.6% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#654F3F, 27.2% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#9D8567, 23.6% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#F6C9A4, 6.5% of the canvas), Light Red (#DAA793, 3.9% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFDC9D, 1.3% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 75% of the light that hits it (LRV 75), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain (CC0). Palette, posterized image, details and room views generated by Light & Pigment from that image. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.